ABOUT:
The Localeur co-founder has made it easier for Austinites new and old to find hidden gems in the city – or while they’re abroad, and he’s just getting started. We caught up with him to learn more about his favorites and his vision for the future.
Joah and his co-founder conceptualized Localeur because they didn’t want to go where tourists go when they traveled, but where locals go. “It was born out of our personal desire to know where locals ate and drank and shopped and worked out instead of going on a review app and trusting other people who didn’t live there. I got friends in Austin to recommend 5 to 10 of their favorite places to eat, drink and hang out in Austin and February 2013 we launched the site with about 50 or 60 recommendations”
They launched their 200th city, New Delhi, India, in April and Cairo, Egypt, Helsinki, Finland, and San Jose, California earlier this year.
White Localeur has gone international, Joah’s heart and home are Austin, “Austin has played such an incredible role not only in me building Localeur, but also in me building my life, my community and my identity. I often think that I became the person I am largely as a result of my upbringing, but also as a result of the places I’ve lived and no place has been more formative in my professional life and quality of life than Austin. It’s really been a city that has fully tapped and unlocked my sense of priorities around philanthropy, community, civic engagement, creativity, entrepreneurship, and having a healthy lifestyle.”
Looking ahead he says, “My big long-term goal is to help my community - whether that’s Austin or the country or the world at large - better understand the link between civic engagement (not just voting, but truly investing in a sense of place at the city level, especially), philanthropy (not just donating, but truly instilling a culture of giving in all things) and economy (not just generating wealth, but positively influencing society through investment and innovation). The words I’ve started using to describe this is constructive optimism: being able to assess and analyze things not solely to be a critic, but to build them even better with hopeful intentionality.”
Places I’m Loving in Austin Right Now (Instead of What I’m Obsessed With)
1. Monger’s in Hyde Park it’s become a really nice date night location.
2. Roy C Guerrero Park: I proposed to my fiancé here.
3. Johnson Creek Trail: I love running or biking here.
4. Gelateria Gemelli: Nothing beats the amazing flavors of gelato here
5. Cuantos Tacos: I’ll probably start a fight by saying this, but these are the best tacos in Austin.
Restaurants (instead of Pets)
Comedor’s: Their Bone Marrow Tacos are the best single dish of any restaurant in Austin.
Uchiko: The fried milk cereal dessert never gets old.
Social:
@joahspearman on IG & Twitter
@localeur on IG & Twitter
Current Obsession (Instead of What I'm Listening To)
1. My fiancé’s music. I got myself a new record player during COVID and have been playing her debut album REINA
2. My Olympus Stylus film camera. Got it as a birthday gift a couple years ago from my fiancé and I can’t travel without it.
3. Nike Zoom Bruins. I love Nike Skateboarding shoes. I used to own a sneaker boutique and collect sneakers, but now I like a shoe with more comfort, durability with some style without going all out.
4. Reposado Old Fashions. I perfected my own at home during the pandemic. My key has been putting water in the glass first and only using Grapefruit bitters.
Favorite Quote (Instead of Words to Live By)
“Each day is a chance to do the things I could’ve done the day before, but didn’t and know I should’ve.” It’s a lyric by a rapper named Phonte.